The latest gathering of the Country Mayors Association of NSW for a Rural Health Forum brought local mayors home energised and ready to take on the NSW Government in the fight for fair treatment.

Narromine Shire Council Mayor Craig Davies has championed the issue since the report from the Regional Health Inquiry, tired of rural communities being treated like ‘second class citizens’.

“It’s clearly one of the most neglected areas of service provision in rural and regional NSW. We’ve been let down by successive governments now for decades,” Cr Davies said. 

With a state election due early next year, Cr Davies said the current government shouldn’t assume they are safe if things stay as they are. 

“From the perspective of myself and other country mayors, we’re starting to break through with both parties and push the point where they understand we as country people are not going to tolerate it any longer,” Cr Davies said. 

Coonabarabran Shire Council Mayor Ambrose Doolan said the strong attendance of officials at the Rural Health Forum was a promising start. 

“It was very refreshing to hear that both Minister Taylor and Shadow Minister Ryan agreed that it was of the utmost importance that the consideration and debate on this very important matter of Regional and Rural Health should be approached on a bipartisan basis and should be brought before Parliament as early as possible,” Cr Doolan explained. 

Cr Doolan is urging all councils to pursue the issue, and ensure that all 44 recommendations of the inquiry are adopted by Parliament.

“This is our opportunity to redress the deficiencies in regional and rural health delivery. We cannot let our communities down,” Cr Doolan said. 

Cr Davies said while he recognises the country services could never match that of the city’s, there are points of priority that can’t be ignored.

“We need a lot better basic health outcomes, right across country NSW,” Cr Davies said.

Despite several invites in the past, the Premier is yet to attend a meeting with the Country Mayors Association of NSW. 

“He needs to get along to the Country Mayors Association and start giving us some answers and how things are going to change in such a fashion that people in regional NSW will want to continue to give him their vote,” Cr Davies said.